Days:New Louise Sorel interview

[Angie79]

Will Louise Sorel Return to Days of our Lives as Villainess Vivian Alamain?

by Daniel R. Coleridge

Louise Sorel is a beloved daytime diva who hardly needs any introduction. In a sudsy sea of scheme queens, this talent has always stood out. Of course, Sorel is best known for her fabulously funny and fierce portrayals of Augusta Lockridge on NBC's Santa Barbara and Vivian Alamain on Days of our Lives. Over the years, she also given us memorable moments on Passions, One Life to Live and Port Charles. That she was never even nominated for a Daytime Emmy is a crying shame. Needless to say, we soap-opera devotees miss her terribly!

Especially on Days, where the fictional town of Salem just hasn't been the same without the wacky Vivian. This campy conniver pulled off the sickest of stunts — kidnappings, murders, live burials, embryo snatching — while making us laugh out loud and love her anyway. Since the NBC sudser's new head writer, Hogan Sheffer, has made so many improvements lately, do Sorel's fans have reason to hope Viv could return? "She's definitely somebody that I've been thinking about," Sheffer acknowledged in a recent interview with TVGuide.com. "I get it." Well, Sheffer's word was good enough to get this reporter all stirred up! I couldn't resist ringing up Louise Sorel in New York to dish on her Days past, and whether she'd like to come back in the future.

TVGuide.com: Vivian is so missed. Would you ever return to Days?

Louise Sorel: Thank you. You know, it's been asked a lot. Even though I've been gone for quite awhile, I keep running into this question everywhere. It's amazing to me. I've always wondered why [former Days head writer] Jim Reilly didn't bring me back, because he seemed like the person who would, but didn't.

TVGuide.com: That is a head scratcher. He sure seemed to have fun writing Vivian.

Sorel: I always loved the character. They don't have that kind of humor — or whatever it is my character brought — on the show now. I think it's valuable. I would love to do that character again. That's all I can say, Daniel! I don't want to be pushy. But I certainly do run into this quite a bit. "How could they not have you back?" I have no answer for that.

TVGuide.com: Vivian's personality made us adore her, no matter what deviltry she got up to. Viv wasn't pure evil — she had a heart.

Sorel: Every once in awhile, you'd see a little window into Vivian's soul. I think that's essential. I certainly drove [the show] a little crazy asking for that! I felt that you couldn't bring on a character and have her just do terrible things. Who is she? Why is she doing this? Who cares, unless you see the vulnerable side and some need on her part?

TVGuide.com: Vivian was also very entertaining because of her great wit.

Sorel: I have a particularly bizarre sense of humor. I would take things that were not meant to be humorous and switch them around. [Chuckles] They trusted my instincts, and they allowed me to do that. Of course, I probably drove them crazy because I was always asking questions, trying to salvage things.... That's just the way I work. You may recall Vivian doing that peculiar Shakespearean walk around Carly's grave. It was originally written very differently. I said, "I can't do what you've written." So they said, "What do you want to do?" I said, "I have no idea!" So they left me alone on my lunch hour, and I came up with this bizarre thing. I was picking flowers and... I don't know, it was very bizarre. I completely threw myself, because I had no idea what was coming out of me! And the show used it. So they allowed me liberties, which was very nice!

TVGuide.com: Well, when you're burying someone alive and tormenting her from above ground via walkie-talkie, I think there's room to take liberties in your acting.

Sorel: Right. [Laughs]

TVGuide.com: If Days brought you back, I would want the wicked Vivian, not the clownish, silly Vivian from the end of your last run.

Sorel: Oh, yes.

TVGuide.com: For example, I couldn't believe Vivian would ever have married her trusted manservant, Ivan. She was his "Madam"!

Sorel: No, never!

TVGuide.com: Also, as much as I love Ali Sweeney, I didn't like it when Days had Sami Brady replace Vivian as the archrival of Kate Roberts (Lauren Koslow).

Sorel: I know, and I was aware that it was happening. It was like they had me teaching Sami [scheming lessons] a few times! You can't replace Vivian with Sami. It's laughable! It's nothing against the actress. She was just too young, and you have to have somebody with the sophistication [to be a mature woman's rival].

TVGuide.com: At least Days gave Vivian a happy ending in 2000, but I still didn't like her running around in hot dog costumes and enduring other indignities.

Sorel: I got very upset with all that stuff. I did it because they paid me to do it, but they knew I was upset. I can't help it. When I see something being destroyed, it really kills me. That was their way of getting me off the show, and it was devastating for me. I would've liked to go off with great panache. I found [my exit] kind of pathetic. People said, "What happened to you?" I said, "I went off to Europe with $40 million and my butler." [Laughs] That should only happen to me in real life!

TVGuide.com: I guess Ivan's lottery jackpot suddenly made him a lot more attractive to Viv!

Sorel: Exactly! But the partnership between [ivan G'Vera and me] as actors really did work. Our Vivian and Ivan had a wonderful spark and unpredictability about them. It was a gift to have that; I had some nice people to work with on Days. By the way, I just ran into the Dobsons, who were the producers of Santa Barbara, at the theater the other night. They also had that fun sensibility about them when I was playing Augusta Lockridge opposite Nick Coster's Lionel. Days, of course, took it a lot further. Santa Barbara was a different kind of show. But I love those characters that are not victims, that are dangerous, funny, caustic. There's so much to play with that. Anyway, that's my answer. I can't tell [Days' producers] what to do.

TVGuide.com: Well, Louise, I can! Bring my Vivian Alamain back to Salem! We're starting the buzz right here on TVGuide.com.

Sorel: [Chuckles] Thank you!

TVGuide.com: I know you're very active with charity work when you're not acting.

Sorel: I'm involved with The Hunger Project and the International Fund for Animal Welfare. I started with IFAW because I went to Kenya, Africa last year. I've always loved animals, and they're working against elephant poaching and helping endangered wildlife there. This organization also has tried to stop the killing of baby seals. [sighs] I can barely say it because it's so upsetting. Clubbing animals to death is one of the most violent crimes on the planet. It's beyond description. It could break your heart. It's so shattering and very hard because I end up weeping all the time! But anyway, I like this charity because I know where the money is actually ending up. And The Hunger Project helps to teach and empower women in impoverished countries to own and operate their own businesses.

TVGuide.com: It's inspiring to hear your passion for this kind of work.

Sorel: There are other things we can get involved with in our heads that seem so insignificant. I think a lot about where our values have gone. This stuff has become a lot more important to me.

http://www.tvguide.com/News-Views/Soaps/QA/default.aspx?

[King]

WOOOOOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! I LOVE DANIEL!!!

[KLN]

OMG! Tylerbo is going to FLIP! Fabulous interview!!

[Queen_Nubia]

Meh....I dont think they need Auntie Viv.

[KLN]

Okay, first off, Hogan knows Vivian exists. He knows Vivian exists!? To me, that's just... it's amazing. "I get it." I LOVE IT!

Second, Louise Sorel came up with that "walking around the grave" bit, picking at flowers... HERSELF? What a lady! That scene was insane! Collapsing on the grave, digging her hand into the dirt and screaming, "Can you hear me?! Can you hear me?! Do you know what I've done?! It's Vivian.... IT'S VIVIAN!" Then rolling around in the dirt of the fresh grave, dirt in her hands, dirt on her clothes, lying face up against the headstone as she laughed hysterically in the night and the camera pulled far away for an above 'aerial' shot. Chilling!

I was just talking to Andre about how the show needs her back! If the show brought back Vivian, Kristen, Carrie and Laura, I'd be happy as a ham!

[Mason]

I LOVE that Louise still wants to come back to DAYS and just the fact that Hogan says he was "thinking of her" is exciting to me. With the trifecta of Kristen, Stefano and Vivian back on the show, DAYS couldn't fail!

[KLN]

Well, you know I gotta do it. For all you Louise Sorel lovers, I give you... BURIED ALIVE!!

http://boards.soapoperanetwork.com/index.php?showtopic=13499

I'll be forever pissed at Tom Langan firing her to make room for Kirsten Storms and Jason Cook. Forever pissed! He didn't even give her a good exit, either. Louise herself said in this interview that her exit was "pathetic."

[King]

I really think Vivvy will be returning. If Judi Evans was to be involved with Vic, and now she's fired?

This interview?

The TVGuide poll from a few weeks ago?

[KLN]

Good points, but especially the Judi one.

[KLN]

The part I loved most about Louise Sorel as Vivian is the way she said the name "Carly."

"Cahhhhly, can you hear me, Cahhhhhly?"

Sends shivers down my spine!

[PhoenixRising05]

Wow...I never knew about the grave scene. That was a good choice and that means she basically made that scene the classic it was.

I am with King-I think she is on her way back in 2007 too. The Bonnie/Victor thing not happening and the poll and now the Hogan comments. It's going to happen I think.

I loved her comments and I remember thinking at the time when they had Vivian dressing up in costumes and then the tooth chip and all that they were just trying to piss her off. It seems like Sorel thinks they did all that to make her quit or push her out. I do agree with her-if Vivian returns I want the evil and wicked Vivian.

I didn't agree with her comments regarding Sami though. Ali and Lauren have been great rivals and so was Vivian and Kate. I don't really see one being bigger then the other but that's just me.

[ademption]

Yep, I think Auntie Viv is back!! Maybe we might get answers to whether Phillip is really Kate's or Vivian's son? Kate needs to lose some kids....

Imagine Kate, Vivian, Victor and Phillip all in the Kiriakis mansion!! What a hoot!!

Thanks Angie for the link to that marvelous article. I'm so excited. Vivian is coming back to the show. I think that Coleridge guy already knows she's coming back. This is just a publicity thing by Days to get people talking about her return.

Days must have a special deal that they give all their exclusives to TV Guide. Remember it was TV Guide that reported that JKJ was under consideration for the Philip recast. It was also TV Guide that speculated that EJ was Elvis months ago....

Also, notice how she never did reply to Coleridge's question "Would you ever return to Days?" She skirted the question and started talking about JER. Know why? B/c she probably already is on contract?

Vivian's coming back. I'm so excited. This is the best news since JKJ's return!! Hogie, you rock!!

[Drew]

Vivian did not marry Ivan. TVGuideMan doesn't know his [!@#$%^&*]

They rode off in a limo with "Just Friends/Happy/Fabulous" at the end and went on a round the world cruise.

[PhoenixRising05]

Yeah Drew I forgot to mention that. She ran off with him on a cruise but never married him.

Ademption I have a feeling Days already knows EE and LS are returning. It just seems that way to me and they are probably just working things out. JKJ was brought up since Bradnt indicated leaving and TvGuide added fuel to it and it happened. However, Days never let us know until JKJ had already begun taping and they gave us a first airdate and everything. I think they will do the same thing for ED and LS. We will get the news confirmed if it happens when they already begin taping. I did notice how she ducked answering the question of returning.

I did like her bringing up JER because I thought for sure he would bring her back after her run at Passions ended.

I do think Hogan and Days has something going on with Tv Guide. JER used to give Logan all the scoops and now it seems Hogan gives Daniel alot of them. SOD and SOW have given Days massive coverage (I am thinking one of them will have a cover next week for all the big things happening), even more coverage then they usually give them. Days has really upped the publicity a bit on some levels, which is good.

I am getting really excited. The show is so good and now Vivian and Kristen possible returning? Awesome. Days needs them to offset some of the cuts they made IMO.

[Andre]

I want Louise Sorel to return more than I want Eileen. I love them both. However, my bf is a big Louise fan--he adores her. He was a Santa Barbara fan and lovedlovedloved Augusta Lockridge. He watches anything she's in (which isn't much lately). If Louise joins, he will watch the show--and then we can talk about it. Selfish, yes, but I honestly would rather they both came. But then there'd be a glut of female beyotches.